2003 · Week 15

Final / OT

Browns

Cleveland

QB Tim Couch

20·23

Broncos

Denver

QB Jake Plummer

Invesco Field at Mile High · outdoors · grass · 52°F · wind 6mph

Closing spread

DEN -11.5

Total

42

Model margin

+6.4est.

DEN perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Broncos
  • Browns

How each play moved the game.

Broncos winsBrowns wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Brownsedge mapBroncos
  • -0.100EPA / play+0.045
  • 43.0%Success rate44.6%
  • -0.069EPA / dropback+0.043
  • -0.144EPA / rush+0.047
  • 6.8%Explosive rate8.6%
  • 37.1%Third-down rate39.9%
  • 47.9%Red-zone TD rate57.7%
  • 1.31Points / drive1.96
  • 3.1%Turnover rate2.0%
  • -0.010EPA / play allowed-0.073

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

DEN lead 10–2 since 1999

DEN have won 2 straight. Meetings average 44.5 points. DEN are 8-4 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2024 · W13CLE @ DEN3241DEN
2023 · W12CLE @ DEN1229DEN
2021 · W7DEN @ CLE1417CLE
2019 · W9CLE @ DEN1924DEN
2018 · W15CLE @ DEN1716CLE
2015 · W6DEN @ CLE2623DEN
2012 · W16CLE @ DEN1234DEN
2009 · W2CLE @ DEN627DEN

Box score

Individual performances

Browns

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Tim Couch8/1818121
Dennis Northcutt0/1000
Frisman Jackson0/1000

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Jamel White20552.80
Lee Suggs5306.00
Tim Couch11717.00

Broncos

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Jake Plummer22/3626901

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Clinton Portis381393.72
Jake Plummer12323.00
Mike Anderson133.00

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line +11.56.1%7.3%3.2%5.0%3.4%3.2%

Positive margins favour Broncos; negative favour Browns.

Half-point at risk

1.35%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

66.0%

Expected total

45.6est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)+2.35
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment+1.43
  • Rest differential+0.08
  • Expected margin+6.43